Julia Gillard has promised a zero-tolerance approach to disloyalty after staring down a bungled coup by backers of Kevin Rudd.
Declaring Rudd's leadership ambitions over forever, she has reshuffled her frontbench, promoting three women among four first-time junior ministers. She also announced mega-portfolios for proven performers within cabinet.
There are two new appointments in a cabinet cut to 20 from 21.
New faces & super ministries
Winners and losers emerge from last week's leadership stoush as Gillard's sixth cabinet is sworn in at Government house. Tim Lester & Mark Kenny discuss the picks.
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The team has been crafted to reward loyalists and salvage Labor's image.
After weeks of internal hemorrhaging, a drawn but determined Prime Minister described the period as ''self-indulgent''. ''Like Australians around the nation, I was appalled by the events of last week,'' she said.
''Our eyes were on ourselves rather than on doing what we should have, being focused on the nation. It was an unseemly display.''
All smiles: Julia Gillard with her new-look ministry. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
But while recriminations have been severe for most of those involved, three-time Rudd backer Anthony Albanese has not only held his key post as manager of government business and Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, but has picked up Simon Crean's responsibilities for Regional Development.
Mr Crean was sacked after demanding a spill, while resignations were effectively forced out of Rudd boosters Martin Ferguson, Kim Carr and Chris Bowen.
''I have always been able to work with Minister Albanese well,'' Ms Gillard said. ''He has been very central to the life of this government and I believe he will serve very well and with a very strong sense of loyalty into the future.''
A fresh start: Julia Gillard during the swearing-in ceremony. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Gillard supporters scored the bulk of the prizes.
Former special minister of state Gary Gray has taken a step up to cabinet filling the crucial economic post of Minister for Resources and Energy.
The Western Australian MP, a former national secretary of the ALP, was once a climate change sceptic who claims to have revised his thinking while working for Woodside Petroleum. ''At Woodside I became acquainted with the business case for managing climate issues and I became more aware of the work that underpinned the science,'' he said.
However, the environmental lobby group Friends of the Earth said Mr Gray should go further and admit that ''burning of fossil fuels will lead to significant warming of the globe'' and ''wind power is now the cheapest form of new-build electricity generation in Australia''.
In a further sign of the importance Labor is placing on winning the battle for hearts and minds in western Sydney, Jason Clare was elevated to cabinet with no addition to his current portfolio of Justice, Home Affairs and Cabinet Secretary.
The biggest expansion of title, if not responsibilities, was in the new job of Trade and Competition Minister Craig Emerson. Dr Emerson now has Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research.
Tony Burke has had Arts added to his cabinet portfolio of Environment and Sustainability.
First-time additions to the outer-ministry are the MP for Ballarat Catherine King, South Australian senator Don Farrell, Queensland senator Jan McLucas and NSW MP Sharon Bird.
The Gillard ministry is weaker for the loss of heavyweights but stronger for the removal of internal tensions.
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